I didn’t quite know what to expect when I turned up to London’s flagship Lalique store in Mayfair for an evening led by the fabulously charismatic Frederick Fischer. The night was organised with The Perfume Society to explore the history of the iconic brand and its collections of scents, both old and new. I have never been educated about the world behind perfumery and it wasn’t long until I was absorbed by what Frederick had to say, albeit I was sucked in by his amazing French accent. As we were guided through the components of only a few Lalique specialities I grew to learn that I would be drawn to learn more about this world that I knew very little about. There was so much more to appreciate, rather like when you delve into the world of coffee, tea and wine for the first time. Filled in a room with sommeliers of perfume, there was a distinct air of excitement and passion as we spent the next few hours smelling and discussing our way through the collections. While talking about our preferential scents we took time out to sip on only the finest champagne out of delicate Lalique champagne flutes and sniffing cups of coffee beans to refresh our sinuses.

The Art Of Perfumery.

I can’t quite believe that I hadn’t delved into the world of perfumery before and I left very much inspired by what I had gained from the evening, with a sense of pleasure in knowing that there was so much more to learn. I understand now the real value of what The Perfume Society can offer, set up by a very inspiring lady that I had the pleasure of meeting – Jo Fairley, co-founder to Green & Blacks chocolate.

I shall definitely be holding back on purchasing my next high street bottle of Eau De Toilette knowing now what the experience of purchasing a scent should be like, and I can’t wait for future Perfume Society workshops and events!